THE DAYS of being bossed around by senior players and unable to have the confidence to speak his mind appear to be behind Ben Howard.
The full back became a first team player this season after graduating from Worcester Warriors’ academy and he seems to be relishing it.
Howard has played a starring role for Warriors so far this season and appears to have returned to the path, which saw him make his Aviva Premiership debut in the 2012/13 campaign.
At that time, Howard was a 19-year-old rising star in a squad full of established names. His rapid progress also led to some of the first team regulars to call him ‘showbiz’ after his pop star namesake’s similar rise to fame.
“Obviously I was a young guy who was playing a few games and you tend to get a bit of stick alongside making the coffees,” he said.
“Ben Howard is a singer and I also sang in the BMW advert with the u20s so the name ‘showbiz’ has just managed to stick. I am not that fond of it, but after a few years you have just got to accept it.”
But more importantly Howard is now hitting the high notes on the field and he has put that down to the exciting young group which director of rugby Dean Ryan and his coaches have put together.
“The older guys who we have had at the club in the last few years have been guys who have really been somewhere and achieved something,” he said.
“Although it is great to have the likes of Andy Goode, Paul Hodgson and Dean Schofield you are never going to stand out as a youngster and tell them what to do.
“But there is a lot younger crowd around now, so I feel a lot more comfortable within my surroundings. Also, just being in the first team squad suddenly makes you feel more senior.”
Howard said he was frustrated by how last season went as Chris Pennell kept him out of the side, while Ryan has also been critical of how he performed when he was handed a chance to impress.
But this campaign, the Warriors boss has been full of praise of Howard who has played the last four Greene King IPA Championship matches.
“Having started the last two Premiership games and then gone off to the World Cup with the u20s, I really wanted to kick on last season,” he said.
“But with the new management coming in, I found myself trying a bit too hard and putting a lot of pressure on myself to do well.
“You realise you are going to make mistakes because everyone does, but at the age I am at you need to be trying things to make mistakes.
“Hopefully I am doing that now and showing the Sixways fans, the coaches and my teammates what I am all about.”